Trends To Look For In Mobile Gaming Industry

Every now and then, mobile technology is surprising our lives. The average time spent by any individual on their phone (non-voice) has increased by almost 5 times in the past couple of years. To a degree, it has to do with typical, every day applications, however lately, mobile games has become one of the main reasons why people from across the globe spend so much time on their smartphones.

Worldwide, the mobile game industry generated approximately $7.8 billion in 2012, touched highest levels of $99.6 billion in the year 2016 and finally grew to $107.6 billion in the year 2017. The main reason for this success is the fact that these games are not only portable but are the best form of entertainment among all age groups. The exponential growth of this industry has given new career opportunities to people who can invest quality time and Learn Mobile Game Development and can finally secure a good job in some of the big brands worldwide.

2017 was a great year for mobile game development and each year we see new innovations and trends and 2018 will be no different. The industry leaders expect new heights in revenue generated by the mobile games and thus new devices and technologies are put to use. 

Thus, here in this article we will discuss a few mobile game development trends that will rule the gaming world in 2018 –

1. Introduction of expansion packs in mobile gaming – Expansion pack is nothing but the addition to the current mobile game. As of now, these plans were supporting only some of the prominent computer and console games, however, developers are looking forward to utilizing this idea in mobile gaming as well, as it will help them in retaining the initial game adopters. 
2. Mini Games will set in motion – Mini games are nothing but the small games that appear in larger games. These games do not need any additional installation procedures and are often integrated on social fronts for promoting both competitions and sharing among friends. These improve both user retention and engagement, hence will hold great importance in the near future. 
3. The Waning of Game consoles – Despite the fact that gaming consoles like Xbox and PlayStation are improving with every release, the expected sales appear to be waning. The reason being, these consoles are rapidly replaced by flexible and cheaper options on the mobile. 
4. Quickly Rising CPIs – The expense associated with locating and retrieving new gamers for both new and existing mobile games, which produces more income is already on the higher side and due to the rising competition, the CPI (cost per install) will increase significantly more. 
5. Pre-ordering Games will rise – As mentioned above, the CPI will reach greater heights in the near future, mobile game developers will have to pay special mind to other solutions. One of these solutions would be allowing pre-ordering or pre-registering of the games. This might be new to mobile gaming but is not new to the PC and console gaming industry, wherein these markets depend heavily on pre-ordering of the games to tempt existing fans and also for the potential gamers who are on the verge of putting their money on the game. 
6. Rise in the subscription Model – Again, it is not a new concept!!! As we know that in the United States PC and console games practice the subscription model and soon we will see mobile games following the same route to success. 
7. AR games will gain popularity – According to the statistics, there will approximately 200 million Augmented Reality game users globally by 2018. These games are apt for small screens and are lending hand in changing the future of the mobile gaming industry. 
8. Rise in Cloud based games – Almost every mobile game developing company is working hard to exploit the benefits of cloud for their products. The major goal of their developers is to simplify the basic design and development for the mobile game and leaving all the grunt work to the cloud. 
9. The Onset of wearable Technologies – It is estimated that by 2018, approximately 135 million pieces of wearable technology will be delivered to the countries worldwide. These wearable technologies include: smart watches and fitness tracking wristbands. With this evolution, the developers will look forward to incorporating the power of these wearable devices to enhance the gaming experience of their customers. As of now, there is a series of games that reflect gaming notifications on smart watches.